I saw a friend the other day, and as we were talking, she remarked that she had read somewhere that there were only three things we needed to do to look 10 years younger:

Do your nails
Wear makeup
Wear jewelry

Hey, that seems doable!

Jewelry
Then she laughed and said that I could easily take off 15 years with my jewelry, LOL! (I like to bead.) How funny! It’s good to laugh.

My personal look is flower child as someone told me.

I like simple, flowing clothes — but I keep adding jewelry until it makes me happy with the effect, layering necklaces and bracelets. Most items are not chunky, but the overall effect might be after layering. I had to laugh recently when I read a designer who does the same thing. I’m not a minimalist — remember the old rule of only so many accessories, including gloves? I’m over the limit just with the number of earrings I wear, LOL!

But I don’t think I’m overdone — except at times and usually intentionally.

Jewelry doesn’t have to be expensive to be beautiful. Buy silver. Buy pieces that look real even if they are not — or buy things that are intentionally costume but beautiful. Watch for sales. Take up beading, though sometimes it can be expensive. Take apart old pieces you no longer wear and re-bead them, or pick up pieces at garage sales and rebead (or simply wear!)

Makeup
I, in turn, shared these three things with another friend yesterday. She has only just begun to wear makeup at age 60. Her comment: it was easier not to wear any.

Well, it might be easier, but I know which way I look better, though my kids tell me I look fine no matter what. That’s love for ya!

Not too long ago Avon showed how makeup enhances and looks more youthful with before and after pictures, without and with makeup. What a difference! At the time, when I showed the pictures to my friend, she didn’t believe it. I did, because I know the difference for me.

Nails
Remember how I’ve talked about taking care of your hands here? Same thing, almost!

My own nails are natural at the moment.

Nail polish alone doesn’t last very long, though I know of several folks who reapply daily with different colors. My nails absorb color and turn yellow. I don’t like that. Only Lipmann polish doesn’t seem to do that on me.

I like the look of white tips, and I have an excellent manicurist who does a very thin veneer, but it’s not possible at the moment, and I don’t like what it does to my own nails after they are removed.

How about you?
Do you have your nails done? Do you wear makeup daily — at least some? And do you wear some jewelry?

What is your particular look?
classic? traditional? sexy? gypsy?

Don’t forget to keep a smile on your face, put fun in your life, and smell good too! Who knows, that might be as important in keeping youthful as anything! What do you think?

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

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Have you ever noticed
…that most makeup blogs (and images) are written by younger women…

…that advertising shows young women, even if they are advertising a product for an older woman, 90% of the time or more… What’s up with that!

What if you fall outside the youth category, but you still have a lot of good years left!
…the short answer: find what works for you…

…if you intuitively know that something isn’t working, be satisfied only when you figure out how to tweak it…

…ask MUAs, ask SAs, ask your hair stylist…

…ask a woman on the street if you love her look what makeup she is using or who cuts her hair or does her color…ask her what color she uses…

Colors
The older you are, the more it matters what colors you wear on your face or on your body. While you could get away with it when you were younger, you can’t any longer. Wrong colors are no longer forgiving.

Warm or Cool colors
Find out if you look best in warm or cool colors. Most neutrals are also either warm or cool. So, for example, one gray or brown might be good on you; another not so good.

Softer or deeper
Because your skin tone changes some — it might become pinker, asher or sallower — you might need to go softer, brighter or deeper in your makeup colors to balance your skin tones better. You might need a darker or brighter lipstick — or the opposite, one that is softer and more neutral. Same for your blush and shadows.

Hair color and style
Taking care of your hair will take years off your look. Keep your style in style.

If you color your hair, be sure to really look at yourself. Check the crown area. You might need to color more often. While you could get away with roots when you were younger, they aren’t flattering now. Truthfully, they weren’t flattering then either, but they are less so now. Or if you are quite white and your color washes out, you might need to color to keep the tone. If you let your hair go white, keep it white, not yellowed.

If you are used to being blond, you might have to change the shade of blond to one with more gold for it to look best.

It never hurts to look at illustrations in magazines and ask your hair stylist for other ideas. If you want to choose something different, give it some serious thought and go to someone who is really talented.

Eyebrows
Eyebrows becoming white
If your eyebrows are coming in strong with white, they are likely becoming more wiry too. Brush them upwards, then trim them even across the top. Then brush them back into place again.

Color the white
You can do this with permanent coloring. Some coloring is made strictly for brows. You can use some of your hair color, if you are careful. Disclaimer: don’t get it in your eyes.

An alternative is to use a brow mascara made to color brows. Here’s one.

Revlon also makes one that is duo ended, one end having a brow pencil.

A friend uses the following Lancome one, but in a different color. It has made all the difference in her appearance. Her natural brows are almost black, but she has about 50-50 white. This covers perfectly and looks natural. The brush is different than a mascara brush and covers better. I would recommend Lancome’s. The Revlon (in blond) is more of a gel fixative; I don’t think it covers my small amount of white, which fortunately doesn’t show.

Hands
Don’t forget your hands. If you need to, use hand lotion. You can even use a mask on them (some are made specifically for hands). Moisturize your cuticles before they start to ravel. After they ravel, a few applications of cuticle cream will take care of it nicely. I usually use the back of my hand for facial product; then I rub the backs of both hands together to distribute whatever is left on my hands. That works!

Body
There comes a point when you need to moisturize your body. If you are especially dry, you can shower, but eliminate any soap products. Just use water, except for the places where you need soap.

Arbonne has a fabulous Body Serum and Body Lotion. It cures what ails you. The difference in my arms is remarkable. Whereas before, my arms were moisturized, they felt like there was product on them. Now, my arms are moisturized, but it feels as if my skin can breath.

Contact Book Girl, if you are interested and do not have a consultant.

Use sunscreen and limit time in the sun
‘Nuf said.

Teeth
Make sure your teeth are clean.

Bleach them with a drugstore product or at your dentist. All those years of coffee, tea and simply years do not have to show up on your teeth.

Change your products with the weather or by location
You will likely need more moisture in winter months than in summer. And if you go from a place with high humidity to a place with low humidity, you will need more moisture. The reverse is true also. If you go from a dry area to a humid area, you can use a lotion instead of a cream, for instance. Or simply use a little less product. Some products are considered smart products — they deliver only what your skin needs at the moment. If you fly, moisturize your skin during the flight.

Think about tweaking your products depending on life stresses
We all know about skin break outs with stress or time of the month. Be proactive. If you are in a particularly stressful situation, take better care of yourself than you might on an ordinary day. It never hurts to be good to yourself. Change your moisturizer to one that defends against breakouts or that will give you added moisture. You know yourself and what you need.

Smile
If you look happy, you will draw people to you, and they will notice your happiness, especially if the rest of you matches the same image and doesn’t get in the way of your smile.

What have you changed in your makeup or style as you have gotten older?
Have fun with it, and remember to be happy! Experiment a little; you might love it!

Karin
www.savvythinker.com
don’t steal my posts — you know who you are

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I have noticed for myself, that there are times when I know I’ve aged — and other times when I’m OK with it. Well, ya gotta be OK with it, within reason, because I want to live long and prosper.

Plastic Surgery
I’d like to leave this out, but realistically, it’s an option. A friend looks quite rested. I know what she went through, though I wasn’t with her. I’d opt for all else first — unless I knew I’d look great, then it might become #1. Hey, I’m honest!

I’m not 100% sure I’d want to be in the same room with a lot of women who’ve had work done because I might come up wanting.

But I worry about if I chose to — what if I didn’t like it? what if I looked horrible afterwards or thought I did. I try to be patient and wait on God. I think there are times when we don’t look as good as we will in a year or so.

Why might we look better as we age naturally? maybe because of what life is dishing us at the moment, we see it on our face, but when life calms down, we won’t. Maybe because we find some products that actually work! Maybe it’s a matter of waiting until the change is more complete — sort of like how eventually our second teeth don’t look too big for our face.

Start a picture file of older women that look great
There are a lot of them, you know. I have a picture of a 90 something dancing. I even have pictures of a 100 yr old woman who was still a cowgirl, riding horses!

Analyze them. What makes them look great? Is it their attitude? Staying engaged in life? Are they too busy to be bitter, lonely, or looking back? Did they learn to move on, no matter how difficult?

Lears Magazine years ago had a pictorial of several older women. They were as different as night and day, from the coquette to the little older grandmotherly type. But they each shone.

10 reasons we might look better as we age naturally
10. Take good care of your skin. This includes the day to day regimen of caring for your skin. Don’t be lazy.
9. Botox Is this aging naturally — or not? Dunno! I’ve not tried it. My hairdresser who is in her late 30s loves it. I wasn’t sure it would erase long standing lines vs. new ones. Plus, seriously, I want to be able to open my eyes with my forehead muscles. Is that funny! What good would it do if I had a super forehead, but my eyes were half closed, LOL!
8. Take good care of your skin This might include using hydroxy in larger percentages from a dermatologist or plastic surgeon’s office.
7. Freshen your makeup Don’t wear the same-o, same-o unless it is what truly works for you. Don’t assume the ravages of time are natural. If you don’t like the way you look, get a makeover. Buy some new color products.
6. Take good care of your skin Try to stay rested — or use products that makes you look rested. (That said, I got 3 hours of sleep last night.) I think I look older if I look tired. Find some skin illuminators — either like my sparkly powder mix or Mary Kay highlighters.
5. Wait Don’t be precipitous. Sometimes our face is going through changes that will settle in nicely. I’m not sure it is all about our acceptance of the inevitable.
4. Stay active Don’t exercise to be well, unless you are recovering from an injury, but because you are well. You are much more apt to stay with a program if you do it because it makes you happy, than because you are trying to sculp your body in 5 easy steps.
3. Stay active and young in your thinking Don’t get in a rut. Keep fresh. Try new things. Make friends with those who are younger than you are.
2. Take good care of your skin At some point this includes the skin on your body too. What good does it do to have a 20 year old face, via surgery, but have 70 year old hands and arms?
Have age spots removed, if you must. Be careful in the sun.
1. Find happiness It shows on your face. Stay engaged in life.

Wait on God, but do your part to have a lovely older life. Make yourself indispensable to others. Be someone they’d like to be around. Be a joy-bringer, not a joy-sucker.

I do my best!

What do you think? What can you add?
Karin

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Hands are one of the first places to show aging. It pays to take care of them. Most people forget.

The products you use on your face, work on your hands also.

No matter your age, from 18 to beyond, begin now, if you haven’t already. Your hands will only improve.

Remember it is easier to prevent, than to correct.

Of course, it is possible to go to extremes and have the veins in your hands removed as at least one cosmetic maven who appears on TV has had done. No woman her age would have veinless hands without this procedure. Ouch!

Here are some simple hints for ouchless improvement:

Do not put product in the palm of your hand.
Use the back of your hand.
The palm of your hand will affect skin care products; the back of your hand will not.

Likewise, get in the habit of resting your cheek or chin on the back of your hand, not your palm.
It feels strange at first, but you will have less breakouts that way. It works!

Number one advice
Use facial skin care products on the back of your hands
This means layering products on your hands in basically the same order as on your face.
It doesn’t matter if you use only a couple of products, not the whole regimen. Just whatever is left, see below. It might vary from day to day.

If you get in the habit of using the back of your hand for product (I put it just under the base of my index finger) (or I just put it on the bottom of the end of my index finger which generally uses it all), it is easy to remember to smoosh whatever is left on your hand between the backs of your hands. Don’t use your palms. That just wastes product that is better used on the backs of your hands.

Whatever teensy bit might be left after applying to your face, rub the backs of your hands together to distribute to the back of your hands.

If you have product on your fingers, put it on the back of your other hand, then smoosh the backs of your hands together. Never waste facial products that could help your hands.

Protect your hands. Use rubber gloves when cleaning or doing dishes.

Common problems
Discoloration or age spots
Retin-A type products; alpha-hydroxy products; whitening products — think of what you are using for your face and use it on your hands.

Very dry hands
Use night creams on the back of your hands.
Use emollient hand creams. A separate post will follow on hand creams I like.

When working or driving, apply hand cream only to the backs of your hands rather than your palms so product doesn’t get on paperwork or the steering wheel.

Apply hand cream to your entire hands, including palms, when you go to bed or when you won’t be touching something immediately.

Weather or wind affects your hands
Use more emollient products for those occasions. Use gloves, if possible.

Prominent veins
If you feel the need, you can use concealer. Mineral makeup or Dermablend works fairly well. You want coverage, but not for it to show. The color must be right.

Practice holding your hands up when gesturing — this is how hand models are photographed when displaying a product, no matter how the photograph is presented in an ad. Any veins are less prominent that way.

Take care of your hands now, and you will be very happy.

Karin

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